Mythbuster: The best place to treat the elderly

For most people the hospital — with its reassuring white coats and life-saving machines — is still the go-to place to get care for the elderly if crisis strikes or when care is no longer working at home.

But the traditional focus of hospitals is medically managing illness, not enhancing patient function. And while hospitals have their place and serve a purpose, experts say they are not always the best option, especially for frail, elderly patients.

”The misconception is that hospitals are the safest place, and that’s not necessarily the case,” said Dr. Grace Park, medical director of home health care for Fraser Health. ”There is a lot of detriment to being in hospitals for seniors.”

Studies have shown the frail elderly experience a five-per-cent decline of their functional abilities each day they stay in hospital due to deconditioning and loss of muscle strength and bone mass. The unfamiliar surroundings also increase the risk of falls, disorientation and isolation.

Ordered to undergo an array of tests by well-meaning doctors, they can contract an inadvertent illness due to medical treatments or diagnostic procedures. Hospital-acquired infections are also a risk.

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